In its drive to reposition doctors as leaders in Nigeria’s health system, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Friday launched its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, aiming to shift physicians from reactive protesters to proactive agents of change.
The five-year roadmap was unveiled in Abuja alongside the NMA’s 2026 Annual Lecture Series, attended by government officials, health reform advocates, and senior physicians. Speakers emphasized that Nigeria’s health challenges are no longer a shortage of ideas but a problem of leadership, accountability, and effective implementation.
The strategic plan sets out 24 objectives and 72 measurable outcomes across eight thematic areas, including institutional development, strategic communication and partnerships, improved patient care, clinical governance, doctors’ welfare and safety, professional collaboration, innovative financing, and monitoring and evaluation.
The event, themed “From Strategy to Impact: Repositioning the Nigerian Medical Association as the Catalyst for Health System Transformation”, reinforced the message that leadership and accountability, rather than ideas, are key to solving Nigeria’s health crises.
In his welcome address, NMA President, Bala Audu, described the plan as a deliberate effort to reposition the association as a policy actor rather than a reactive pressure group.
“This document is more than a roadmap, it’s a statement of intent,” he said, noting that it reflects extensive consultations, lessons learned, and a clear understanding of the realities facing doctors and the health system.
Responding to questions about progress since the 2024 National Health Summit, Audu highlighted the NMA’s focus on engagement rather than confrontation. “We have held strategic discussions with federal and state governments to address implementation gaps and existing agreements”, he said.
He also pointed to the ongoing collective bargaining process involving multiple health sector stakeholders as a milestone toward system stability. “For the first time, all stakeholders are on one negotiating table to harmonize agreements and reduce contradictions that destabilize the system,” Audu added.
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